Clipboard illuminator

ABSTRACT

An illumination device primarily designed to be used in combination with a clipboard or the like and comprising a housing removably mounted thereon and serving to support and at least partially enclose a power source in the form of one or more dry cell batteries, a light source in the form of an incandescent bulb and a switch member all of which are electrically interconnected to activate the illumination device upon operation of the switch member. The housing is at least partially secured to the clipboard by a portion of a light reflector removably engaging the clip on the board.

United States Patent Bauknight 51 Sept. 26, 1972 CLIPBOARD ILLUMINATOR Primary Examiner-Samuel S. Matthews 72 Inventor: Robert L. Bauknight, 2716 62nd St.,

Tampa, Fla. 33619 [22] Filed: June 23, 1971 [21] Appl. No.: 155,818

52 us. Cl. ..240/6.4 B [51] Int. Cl...; ..F2lv 33/00 [58] Field of Search ..240/2 P, 6.4 B

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,029,425 2/1936 Kaylor et al ..240/6.4 B 2,779,865 1/1957 Hermeyer et al....240/6.4 B X 3,297,862 1/1967 Levy et a] ..240/6.4 B 3,309,514 3/1967 Levy et al ..240/6.4 B

Attorney-Stefan M. Stein [57] ABSTRACT An illumination device primarily designed to be used in combination with a clipboard or the like and comprising a housing removably mounted thereon and serving to support and at least partially enclose a power source in the form of one or more dry cell batteries, a light source in the form of an incandescent bulb and a switch member all of which are electrically interconnected to activate the illumination device upon operation of the switch member. The housing is at least partially secured to the clipboard by a portion of a light reflector removably engaging the clip on the board.

8 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures CLIPBOARD ILLUMINATOR BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1 Field of the Invention This invention relates to a portable light designed to be removably attached to a clipboard and capable of being powered by one or more dry cell batteries located on the interior of a light housing along with a incandescent bulb and a switch means electrically connected to both.

2. Background of the Invention Clipboards and like devices utilized as supporting surfaces on which to mount notebook pads, writing paper and the like are commonly utilized for many applications. A conventional clip board of this type comprises a rigid plate or board made of fibrous, plastic or metallic material of generally lightweight. Since these boards are used to only temporarily secure writing paper or the like thereto, fastening means are usually provided in the form of a movable, spring biased clip. This clip is generally attached to the upper end of the board and has a coil spring mounted thereon so as to bias the clip into closed position wherein the securing edge of the clip engages the board itself.

In many instances when utilizing a board of this type it is often times desirable and even necessary that some type of convenient, efficient illumination device be made available in order that writing on or reading from paper secured to the clipboard may be efficiently accomplished. One application for a conventional clipboard of this type wherein an illumination device is highly desirable is in police work. When investigating automobile accidents or traffic violations the clipboard is a necessary and important tool for the highway patrolman of police officer. Although normally the patrolman is equipped with a conventional flashlight powered by a plurality of dry cell batteries this particular illumination device is not specifically designed to readily lend itself for efficient illumination of any material he is trying to write or read from the board. Generally the officer has to write, handle the clipboard and maintain the flashlight in proper position such that efficient use can be made of the material positioned on the clipboard. Since a great deal of an officers work is done in the evening hours, the need of a specifically designed illumination device becomes even more apparent.

Accordingly, it can be readily seen that there is a specific need for an illumination device designed to be removably attached to a clipboard. Such device must be lightweight so as to not impair efficiency of the average clip board. In addition, such a device must be durable, reliable and readily removable from the clipboard to which it is designed to be attached.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to a portable illumination device specifically designed to be used in combination with a conventional type clipboard in order to efficiently provide adequate illumination to the contents of the clipboard.

More specifically, the illumination device comprises a housing which has a base the undersurface of which is arranged in supported engagement with a spring biased clip which is attached to the clipboard in the usual manner. The housing further comprises a casing which serves to at least partially enclose the interior of the housing and the contents contained therein. The housing is secured to the casing by means of a knob having a screw threaded connector formed therewith. In addition this knob serves to extend through an aperture and then into the threaded socket in the housing thereby interconnecting the clip, base and easing of the housing to one another.

A power source is provided on the interior of the casing and includes one or more dry cell batteries electrically connected to the light source. The light source is generally in the fon'n of a single incandescent bulb similar to that provided in the ordinary flashlight. A switch electrically interconnects the power source and the bulb and when activated serves to allow current flow between the batteries and the bulb.

A reflector means is secured to the front portion of both the casing and the base and also serves to at least partially enclose the interior of the housing. The reflector has a substantially concave configuration and also includes a lip or flange extending along its lower periphery. The flange is substantially U-shaped and extends outwardly from the interior of the housing to extend underneath the lower front edge of the base so as to engage the undersurface of the clip.

This flange along with manually operated knob fixedly secures the light to the clip while at the same time allowing the clip to move in a pivotal fashion in this usual manner. To facilitate this pivoting of the clip a finger notch is provided on the upper portion of the casing and is located such that pressure applied thereto will pivot the clip rearwardly so as to position papers or the like in position to be clamped by the clip.

The device may be made from any lightweight durable material such as plastic or the like and as can be readily seen from the above explanation the illumination device can be easily removed from the clip in order to replace the batteries therein or to reposition the light on another device.

The invention accordingly comprises the features of construction, combination of elements, and arrangement of parts which will be exemplified in the construction hereinafter set forth, and the scope of the invention will be indicated in the claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS For a fuller understanding of the nature and objects of the invention, reference should be had to the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing in which:

FIG. 1 is a top plane view of the illumination device of the present invention mounted on a clipboard or the like.

FIG. 2 is a side view of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view of the illumination device taken along lines 3-3 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is a front view of the illumination device taken along lines 4-4 of FIG. 2.

Similar reference characters refer to similar parts throughout the several views of the drawing.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION The present invention relates to an illumination device generally indicated at 10 and designed to be primarily used in combination with a clipboard or like device 12 used as a supporting surface for writing paper or the like 14. The clipboard 12 may be of conventional design and includes a hook arrangement 16 having aperture 18 designed to support the board when hung from a nail or the like. In addition a spring biased clip generally indicated at- 20 is movably connected to the top portion of clipboard l2 and includes flanges 22 depending from the main body portion 24 of the clip. The flanges 22 are pivotally connected at 26 as clearly shown in FIG. 3.

The illimination device itself comprises a housing which includes a base 28 and a casing 30 removably attached thereto. Threaded connector 32 has a knob 34 integrally attached thereto to facilitate attachment and removal of the casing from the base thereby making the interior of the housing readily available. Threaded connector. 32 is positioned so as to extend through an aperture located in base 24 and into an interior threaded the power source and and the light source by means of conventional electrical conductors 46. The conductors of course cooperate with appropriate contacts 48 and 50 cooperating with the power source and light source v respectively.

The bulb 40 is mounted in socket 52 formed as an integral part of reflector means 54. The reflector means is in a substantially concave configuration and attached to bothv the casing 30 and'the base 28 of the housing. Reflector means 54 is positioned relative to the housing to substantially close off the front portion thereof and partially enclose the interior of the house as clearly shown in FIG. 3. The reflector 54 is connected by conventional fasteners 56 to the housing as shown in FIG. 4. The lower portion of the reflector means is formed into a substantially curved flange or fastening means 60 extending outwardly from the housing. The configuration of flange 60 is such that it is capable of cooperating in locking engagement underneath the front edge of portion 24 of clip 20. By virtue of this arrangement the reflector serves to aid in removably connecting the device to the clip 20 along with threaded connector 32.

In operation, base 28 and casing 30 are positioned in cooperativerelation to clip 20 such that threaded connector 32 may extend through an aperture formed at the top of the clip and lockingly engage the threaded socket 36. Similarly, the lower flange 60 of reflector 54 engages the front edge of the clip. Once installed the clip may be pivoted by pressure on depressed area 64 .which is especially configured to adapt to the fingerof the user. Pressure at this point on the housing serves to pivot the clip in a counterclockwise direction thereby allowing the placement or removal of paper 14 or the like. Similarly, removal of pressure from point 64 allows the clockwise rotation of the light and clip thereby locking paper 14 in a desired position as shown.

It will thus be seen that the objects set forth above, among those made apparent from the preceding description, are efficiently attained and, since certain changes may be made in the above article without departing from the scope of the invention, it is intended that all matter contained in. the above description or shown in the accompanying drawing shall 'be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

It is also be understood that the following claims are intended to cover all of the generic and specific features of the invention herein described, and all statements of the scope of the invention which, as a matter of language might be said to fall therebetween.

What is claimed is:

1. An illumination attachment device configured for use in combination with a clipboard, said device comprising an enclosed housing, a light source mounted therein, a power source disposed within said housing, a switch means electrically interconnecting said light source and said power source, a portion of said housing configured to form a reflector means arranged relative to said light source to direct the illumination of said light source, a connection means to operatively engage said housing to detachably fix said device to said clipboard and a fastening means comprising a flange formed on the lower portion of said reflector cooperatively engaging the clip of said clipboard to secure said device to said clip to permit movement of said clip and said device relative to said clipboard without interferring with the operation of said device or said clipboard.

2. The illumination attachment device of claim 1 wherein said flange comprises a substantially U-shaped channel extending the width of said reflector. I

3. The illumination attachment device of claim 1 wherein said flange includes a substantially curved configuration and is arranged to extend outwardly from said housing and engage the undersurface of the clip attached thereto.

4. The illumination attachment device of claim 1 wherein said power source comprises at-least one dry cell battery electrically interconnected to said light source by said switch means, to cause current to flow from said battery to said light source when said switch means is actuated.

5. The illumination attachment device of claim 1 wherein said reflector comprises a substantially concave configuration operatively attached to said light source and said switch means is mounted on said reflector on the exterior of said housing.

6. The illumination attachment device as in claim 1 wherein said housing comprises a base arranged in supported relation to said clipboard, and, a casing detachably connected to said base to at least partially enclose the interior of said housing.

7. The illumination attachment device of claim 6 wherein said flange is integrally formed on said reflector, said flange arrangedto extend outwardly from said housing to at least partially surround the lower edge of said base, said flange lockingly engaging the clip of the clipboard.

8. The illumination attachment device of claim 1 wherein said power source comprises two dry cell batteries interconnected to said light source by said switch means and said light source comprises at least one incandescent bulb mounted on said reflector. 

1. An illumination attachment device configured for use in combination with a clipboard, said device comprising an enclosed housing, a light source mounted therein, a power source disposed within said housing, a switch means electrically interconnecting said light source and said power source, a portion of said housing configured to form a reflector means arranged relative to said light source to direct the illumination of said light source, a connection means to operatively engagE said housing to detachably fix said device to said clipboard and a fastening means comprising a flange formed on the lower portion of said reflector cooperatively engaging the clip of said clipboard to secure said device to said clip to permit movement of said clip and said device relative to said clipboard without interferring with the operation of said device or said clipboard.
 2. The illumination attachment device of claim 1 wherein said flange comprises a substantially U-shaped channel extending the width of said reflector.
 3. The illumination attachment device of claim 1 wherein said flange includes a substantially curved configuration and is arranged to extend outwardly from said housing and engage the undersurface of the clip attached thereto.
 4. The illumination attachment device of claim 1 wherein said power source comprises at least one dry cell battery electrically interconnected to said light source by said switch means, to cause current to flow from said battery to said light source when said switch means is actuated.
 5. The illumination attachment device of claim 1 wherein said reflector comprises a substantially concave configuration operatively attached to said light source and said switch means is mounted on said reflector on the exterior of said housing.
 6. The illumination attachment device as in claim 1 wherein said housing comprises a base arranged in supported relation to said clipboard, and a casing detachably connected to said base to at least partially enclose the interior of said housing.
 7. The illumination attachment device of claim 6 wherein said flange is integrally formed on said reflector, said flange arranged to extend outwardly from said housing to at least partially surround the lower edge of said base, said flange lockingly engaging the clip of the clipboard.
 8. The illumination attachment device of claim 1 wherein said power source comprises two dry cell batteries interconnected to said light source by said switch means and said light source comprises at least one incandescent bulb mounted on said reflector. 